Parametric Modeling in SketchUp

ParaShape is a SketchUp extension that places parametric blocks — cabinets, railings, facades, window walls, anything — directly in your active SketchUp document. Change a parameter in the Configurator and the block rebuilds as native Face, Edge, Material, and Layer entities. No DXF round-trip, no dead geometry.

Open the Builder →

SketchUp 2022 or newer.

What it places

Blocks are defined in the web Builder as a node graph:

• Parameters — length, angle, boolean, color, material, layer, and more. Each is an expression — reference other parameters by name.
• Generators — mesh.extrusion, mesh.box, surface.revolve, surface.loft, curve.polyline, and others. Build the geometry.
• Modifiers — arrayLinear, move, rotate, chamfer, boolean ops. Transform the generator output.

Save the template once. From inside SketchUp, pick it from the library, drop it in place, and the Configurator panel exposes every parameter for live edit.

Why SketchUp-native

When ParaShape rebuilds a block, it emits real SketchUp entities, not an imported mesh:

• Faces with planar edges — push-pull, Solid Tools, Follow Me all work on them.
• Soft / smooth edges where the underlying surface is curved — shading stays clean without merging tessellation artefacts.
• Materials become Sketchup::Material objects in the model materials panel — editable, reusable, exportable to LayOut swatches.
• Layers (Tags) become Sketchup::Layer entries — visibility and scenes work as expected.
• Component definition wraps each placed block — reused instances share geometry, so memory stays flat even with hundreds of copies.

One Ctrl+Z rolls back a rebuild cleanly. The active selection survives parameter changes.

Cloud-synced library

The plugin and the web Builder read from the same Supabase-backed template store:

• Save a template in the Builder → it shows up in SketchUp's Parashape dialog immediately.
• Save a variant from SketchUp (parameter overrides on an existing template) → it's available back in the Builder.
• Nested templates (a cabinet that contains shelves that contain drawer runners) resolve automatically — the plugin fetches the whole dependency graph.

Install

1. Download parashape.rbz from the Builder dashboard once you sign in.
2. In SketchUp: Window → Extension Manager → Install Extension.
3. Select the .rbz file and accept the signed-extension prompt.
4. Restart SketchUp. A Parashape menu appears under Extensions, and a one-button toolbar is added to the workspace.

The plugin checks for updates on launch and downloads the current dialog UI from parashape.meshma.com — no reinstall needed when new features ship.

Workflow

1. Extensions → Parashape → Open.
2. Pick a template from the library, or paste a template ID.
3. Click Place — the block appears at the cursor as a component.
4. Open the Configurator panel — every parameter the template exposes is a live field.
5. Edit a parameter — the block rebuilds in place, position preserved.
6. Save as a variant to reuse this configuration later.

Unit conversion follows the SketchUp convention: changing the document's length unit converts literal parameter inputs (e.g. 1200 → 1200 mm vs 47.24"); expressions with references (e.g. sizeX - thickness) are left unchanged.

Frequently asked

Which SketchUp versions are supported?

SketchUp 2022 and newer (Make, Pro, Studio). Earlier versions have older CEF runtimes that don't support the modern JavaScript features the Configurator UI uses.

Does it work on SketchUp Free (web)?

No — SketchUp for Web doesn't load .rbz extensions. Use the web Builder directly; exports go through SKP or DWG.

Does it send my model anywhere?

Template JSON and parameter values are fetched from your Supabase account over HTTPS. The geometry the plugin generates stays local — it's committed straight into your .skp file. No model data is uploaded.

Can I use it offline?

Once a template is loaded, editing parameters and rebuilding the block runs locally. Fetching new templates or saving variants needs a connection.

Can I edit the geometry afterwards?

Yes — every placed block is a regular SketchUp component. You can explode it if you want destructive edits, or keep it as a component and let the plugin continue to manage it parametrically. Exploding disconnects it from the template.

How is it different from dynamic components?

Dynamic components run formulas on attributes. ParaShape runs a full node graph: parameters feed expressions, expressions drive generators, generators feed modifiers, and the whole chain rebuilds on any change. You can mix mesh.extrusion, surface.revolve, boolean ops, and array modifiers in one block — dynamic components can't.